Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter made his major-league debut Wednesday and, in the process, wore the first Rookie Debut Patch in a playoff game since the program’s inception.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 54 overall prospect, DeLauter hit seventh in the lineup and played center field for the Guardians in Wednesday’s American League wild-card game against the Detroit Tigers. He dropped a flyball in windy conditions in the first inning, but Cleveland got out of the inning without allowing a run.
In collaboration with Topps and Fanatics, DeLauter’s debut patch will be removed after the game and placed into a 1/1 trading card that he’ll autograph at a later date.
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Launched as part of 2023 Topps Chrome Update, the Rookie Debut Patch Autograph program has been among the most popular additions to the hobby since Fanatics acquired Topps in 2022. Arguably the most important rookie card for each player featured, RDPAs have carried significant value on the secondary market due to their extreme scarcity.
The record paid for any RPDA to date is the $1.11 million spent on Paul Skenes’ in March. The highest sale for any baseball card created during the ultra-modern era, Skenes’ RPDA was purchased by retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods and placed on display at one of its Pittsburgh locations.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.